Known for his witty columns on local issues and personalities, Sanderlin was a fixture on the local scene for nearly three decades.

''He was sort of the dean of Athens journalism,'' said Flagpole Magazine Publisher Pete McCommons, who with his partners at the Athens Observer hired Sanderlin as a City Hall reporter for the weekly newspaper in 1975.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Sanderlin joined the Observer staff for a starting salary of $65 per week plus meals at a local cafe and stayed for the next 26 years. He would earn several awards from the Georgia Press Association for his news reporting and opinion and humor columns.

''Most people will remember his wit and the fact he was able to suffer fools gladly,'' said Athens-Clarke Commissioner John Barrow. ''He had the ability to laugh at himself, and that's an indispensable gift if you're going to laugh at others.''

Said former Athens-Clarke Mayor Gwen O'Looney, ''He had one of the most wonderful, humorous approaches to serious events. You could always count on him to make you laugh about things.''

Sanderlin, who underwent two angioplasty procedures a decade ago, had been in declining health for a number of years. He had recently resigned his position with the Observer and planned to move to Atlanta to live with his brother.

Athens-Clarke Mayor Doc Eldridge said he immediately took notice of Sanderlin's absence at a recent commission meeting.

''He was a mainstay at our meetings,'' Eldridge said. ''We're all going to miss him.''

Former colleagues remembered Sanderlin Friday as a well-read, talented writer with an encyclopedic mind and a biting sense of humor that was put to use in his columns.

''He used intelligent humor,''said Athens Banner-Herald Associate Editor Don Nelson, who was a co-owner of the Observer for 15 years. ''He actually made you think, and while making you think made you laugh.''

''For a lot of people, Phil was the face of the Observer for a period of time.''

Funeral arrangements were not complete Friday.

This article published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, June 23, 2001.